We are off on a 5 week road trip to Victoria. Have a son and Grandson there.
Have 1+ weeks to get there, 2+ weeks in Vic, 1+ weeks to return.
Booked in 2 X AIR BnBs for the way down, will work it out after that.

Have done a lot of work on the car in the past 6 months. New tyres, windscreen wipers, auto fluid, engine oil, battery.
Emptied it out entirely yesterday (2 washing baskets full) , vacuumed and cleaned, windscreens cleaned.

1st stop Port Macquarie for 4 nights

a 2008 camry with 323,000 on the odometer.
Have owned it for over a decade and serviced it very well.
Camrys are very good on the open road, they are a big car so ride well

Sprintcyclist wrote on Apr 13^th, 2024 at 9:24am:


Nice! If you happen to be in Lake Macquarie area by Sunday… there’s a big event there you might enjoy. I think it’s over 2.5 hours drive further south.

Sophia wrote on Apr 13^th, 2024 at 11:40am:



what event?

Is that Police Academy 5? 

Jasin wrote on Apr 13^th, 2024 at 7:56pm:



Thanks

Never been to Port Macquarie. But I hear many good things about it.
Kiama used to be great. It's own way of life and style. I've dived heaps around there in the past. You could honestly say when in Kiama, that you are away from it (Sydney) all.

But in the last 10 years - the major developments of Suburbs galore and all that comes with it, has seen it indeed become just an 'extension' of Sydney now. It has that 'city' feel to it, with countless 'burbs' around it. It is now another 'quantity over quality' way of life there.

You will find that the entire Coastline of NSW will be one long 'City' one day. Pristine amazing coastlines covered in cement, tar, block-homes, Supermarkets and noise pollution.
There should be a 1km buffer zone of NO development along the entire Coastline to protect and preserve it.
There is no 'need' to build upon it right to the edge.

Great Ocean road is very scenic but winding.
I’m glad to read you are enjoying Victoria. So many different aspects about Vic.
Country Vic is beautiful. Have you gone as far as Gippsland? It’s different again. Phillip Island is very popular beach holiday spot… it’s where the GP bike race is held.
So much to see…
It’s like when we travel interstate, we like to travel a different route to see as much as possible. Even if we travel the same route as before, we like to explore different turns along the way we wizzed past other times.
Information places I find are good to stop at.

Baronvonrort wrote on May 6^th, 2024 at 12:03am:


I agree with your ideas.
We were not towing, not sure what the smell was. Tranny fluid looks/smells ok. I changed it about 9 months ago.
Smell might be an oil weep I have that was on the hot engine
I did ask about fixing the weep, the good mechanic said it is not economic to fix it. The car as 320,000 kms on it.
I just top it up every 2 - 3 months now

Sprintcyclist wrote on May 12^th, 2024 at 9:39am:


Yeah very stoic and business like. Supermarkets and nice shops hard to find as they are all hidden around back of business like office/buildings.
They’re a pace all on their own not like the rest of our places on Oz.
Melbourne art gallery should be better… but I haven’t been for donkeys years!
I must go in one day soon now coming to think of it. I just hate driving into the city and fight for parking spots!

Sprintcyclist wrote on May 12^th, 2024 at 9:39am:

You just don't know the right people to be allowed in the right places. For starters, I bet you and your wife were not wearing Lanyards around your necks.
Cods used to live in Canberra. She never left her house without a few Lanyards on to open doors.

Sprintcyclist wrote on May 14^th, 2024 at 9:20am:


What?! No pics of buns? 

All back home, safe and sound.  An overview.

I love driving around Aussie so like this trip. From Brisbane to Vic and the Great Southern Ocean Road, around much of country Victoria, staying a beach AIRBNBs and STAYS often, Caravan parks a few times.

For 5 week, total cost about $7500 for the 2 of us.
Did a HUGE amount of preventative maintenance on the car before - highly recommended for a big car trip.
Drove a max of about 600 kms on a big day, swopped drivers every 1.5 hours or less - again recommended.

navigator's job is to 1/ Have a siesta
2/ Keep driver well hydrated/fed/alert/comfortable.
3/ Do all searched for stops/fuel/sightseeing on phone

Surprises are Ballarat - very well worth a 2+ day visit (3+ nights)
Canberra is probably not a big attraction. War memorial was great.
Kitchen knives can be sharpened well enough on a river rock ! (comes down to how good you are at sharpening)
Some caravan parks are REALLY good - 'Painters Island' caravan park at Wangaratta.
Got a bit 'bored' of seeing tourist sights. Historical sites and lighthouses etc


Buying a caravan/camper bus does not suit us that well for a few reasons.

Sophia wrote on May 22^nd, 2024 at 10:30pm:



Yes, went to Sovereign Hill. That was an eyeopener once anyone looks past the tourist paraphernalia.
It was all very good, the story behind it is grim

There is now a 'Eureka Stockade' centre. I knew very little about this historical time.
What happened there went around the world and shaped Australias political system
As Mark Twain said about it '......  I think it may be called the finest thing in Australasian history. It was a revolution – small in size; but great politically; it was a strike for liberty, a struggle for principle, a stand against injustice and oppression....It is another instance of a victory won by a lost battle. It adds an honorable page to history; the people know it and are proud of it. ...... '

The climate was quite ok, calm winds, minimums at about 9 or so. We have heating and jackets nowadays.
I went for a swim in the ocean at Apollo Bay - Great Ocean Road